Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Editorial Slams UC’s Plan To Ban Smoking on All Campuses

A Los Angeles Times editorial argues that although "smoking is a detestable, dangerous habit," it is "also a legal one, and there is plenty to say in defense of allowing adults to make bad decisions if they're not breaking the law or harming others." It adds, "The University of California should have taken that into account before UC President Mark G. Yudof announced that all 10 campuses would become smoke- and tobacco-free within two years." The editorial concludes, "The vast majority of UC students are 18 or older," and "as long as their activities aren't illegal, dangerous to others or imminently life-threatening, ... the university should steer clear of outright bans."